The vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman, together with Vita de Dowel, Dobet, et Dobest, secundum Wit et Resoun, by William Langland (about 1362-1393 A. D.)

                                
                                  And at the dome-ȝeuynge · drowe out þe bladis,
                                
                                  And lente men leuere · of her longe battis. [leuere; MS. leuere, altered to leuerey. It is a trisyllable word, equivalent here to delivery, in the sense of delivering a blow; see l. 182.] 
                                
                                  They lacked alle vertues · þat a Iuge shulde haue;
                                
                                  ffor, er a tale were ytolde · þey wolde trie þe harmes,
                                
                                  Without ony answere · but ho his lyf hatid.
                                  Line 333 
                                
                                  And ho so pleyned to þe prince · þat pees shulde kepe,
                                
                                  Of these mystirmen · medlers of wrongis,
                                
                                  He was lyghtliche y-lauȝte · and y-luggyd of many, [lyghliche in MS. Cf. Lor|kynge þorw lones · to-logged of menye; C. 3. 226.] 
                                
                                  And y-Mummyd on þe mouthe · and manaced to þe deth.
                                  Line 337 
                                
                                  They leid on þi leigis, Richard · lasshis y-now,
                                
                                  And drede neuere a dele · þe dome of þe lawe.
                                
                                  Þer nas Rial of þe rewme · þat hem durste rebuke,
                                
                                  Ne Iuge, ne Iustice · þat Iewis durste hem deme
                                  Line 341 
                                
                                  ffor oute þat þei toke · or trespassid to þe peple.
                                
                                  This was a wondir world · ho so well lokyd,
                                
                                  Þat gromes ouere-grewe · so many grette maistris;
                                  Line 344 
                                
                                  ffor þis was þe rewle in þis rewme · while þey here regnyd.
                                
                                  Þouȝ I satte seuenenyght · and slepte ffull selde,
                                
                                  [I miȝte not reche redili · to rekene þe nombre] [A line lost; supplied by guess.] 
                                
                                  Of many mo wrongis · þan I write coude; [coude; MS. Couude.] 
                                  Line 348 
                                
                                  ffor selde were þe sergiauntis · souȝte ffor to plete, [MS. serigauntis.] 
                                
                                  Or ony prentise of courte · preied of his wittis, [folio 118] 
                                
                                  Þe while þe degonys domes · weren so endauntid. [degonys; MS. dogonys; see l. 362, below.] 
                                
                                  Tille oure sire in his see · aboue þe vijne sterris, [Cf. by the seuen sterres; C. 18. 98.] 
                                  Line 352 
                                
                                  Sawe þe many mysscheuys · þat þese men dede,
                                
                                  And no mendis ymade · but menteyned euere [menteyned; MS. menteyne it, absurdly.] 
                                
                                  Of him þat was hiest · y-holde for to kepe

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Title: The vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman, together with Vita de Dowel, Dobet, et Dobest, secundum Wit et Resoun, by William Langland (about 1362-1393 A. D.)
Author: Langland, William, 1330?-1400?
Canvas: Page 498
Publication: London,: Pub. for the Early English text society, by N. Trübner & co.,; 1867-85.

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ajt8124.0001.001
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Full citation: "The vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman, together with Vita de Dowel, Dobet, et Dobest, secundum Wit et Resoun, by William Langland (about 1362-1393 A. D.)." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ajt8124.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 13, 2025.

The vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman, together with Vita de Dowel, Dobet, et Dobest, secundum Wit et Resoun, by William Langland (about 1362-1393 A. D.)

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